Who Was “He”, “B.” and “B.G.”?

16-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, August 27, 1911: Went to Sunday school this afternoon, although it drizzled to some extent. He was there. This evening I went with Ruth to a Song Service up to Mc! It was in the Lutheran Church, and the singing was certainly magnificent.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

“He” refers to a guy Grandma thought was cute. She never uses his name but referred to him as “him”,” B.”, and “B.G”. in previous posts.

There probably were several young men with the initials B.G. living in the McEwensville area in 1911. But within the limited cast of people mentioned in the diary there is only one person with those initials.

I keep telling myself—Don’t Speculate!—I but can’t help myself. I continue to think that she was referring to Bill (William) Gauger.

Bill (William) Gauger*

I know that Bill will eventually marry Grandma’s sister Ruth, but according to the diary, in 1911 Ruth was dating Jim Oakes and so it seems conceivable that Grandma had a crush on Bill. (I don’t have any sisters, but I know women who do—and I’ve heard them say that their sisters often stole their boyfriends.)

*Photo Source: History of McEwensville Schools by Thomas Kramm, used with permission